Medford’s Eastwood Cemetery Gets New Life as Crews Restore 22 Historic Headstones

MEDFORD, Ore. — As part of an ongoing effort to preserve the integrity of one of the City’s oldest burial grounds, 22 of the historic monuments at Eastwood Cemetery were repaired in mid-October using funds from a grant from the Oregon Historic Cemeteries Program, which were matched by the cemetery.

Founded in 1890 and acquired by the City in 1972, the Eastwood Cemetery is currently managed by the Medford Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department. Many of the grave markers date back to the late 1800s and commemorate some of Medford’s earliest and most prominent residents.

But over time, monuments shifted, sank, or loosened due to soil settling or nearby root growth. Restoration work to 22 monuments was carried out by Chase Memorials, including the leaning headstone of Eliza J. Hamlin, who died in 1895.

The crew spent a week carefully releveling and reglueing aging marble and granite monuments to improve both safety and appearance. Hamlin’s headstone was carefully lifted using an excavator and heavy-duty straps, and the site was stabilized with gravel before reattaching the monument with strong adhesive.

A $4,325 grant for the project was awarded by the Oregon Historic Cemeteries Program, which was matched by the cemetery, bringing the total to $8,650. Over 60 headstones at Eastwood Cemetery have been restored in recent years.